Temporary tire for automotive vehicles

ABSTRACT

A temporary vehicle tire in the form of a wide, chain-like strip wrapped around the periphery of an automotive vehicle pneumatic tire mounted upon the rim of a vehicle wheel, the strip having spoke-like legs extending radially inwardly on opposite sides of the pneumatic tire and frictionally clamped to the side edges of the rim to form an independent outer wheel tread or tire.

PATENTEDnm 3 I972 INVENTOR MARK SCHUMAN ATTORNEYS TEMPORARY TIRE FORAUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Conventionally, when thepneumatic tire of an automotive vehicle becomes flat, e .g., due to lossof air because of puncture, blow-out, etc., the wheel is removed andreplaced with another wheel upon which a spare tire is mounted. Sincethe removal of the wheel carrying the flat tire and the mounting of thespare tire wheel is difficult for many people, efforts have been made inthe past to provide some means which functions as a temporary oremergency wheel, without removal of the wheel with the flat tire so thatthe vehicle can be driven to a service garage.

One form of suchemergency wheel is a disc, to be fastened to thewheel,;when needed, using the same bolts which fasten the wheel to theaxle hub. This requires the removal of the wheel nuts and fastening ofthe emergency wheel discupon the face of theflat tire wheel.Unfortunately,.this nut removal is quite difficult and thus such type ofemergency wheel has been unsuccessful. I

The invention herein thus relates to a means for providing a temporarytread or tire or rim around the outside of a mounted tire and wheel,which will support the vehicle long enough to get it to a servicegarage, and which may be applied simply, without jacking up or raisingthe vehicle and without the need for removing the nuts of the wheel orin any other way disturbing the tire or wheel, despite having a flattire.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention herein contemplates providing a wide,chain-like strip which may be wrapped around a pneumatic tire andsecured to the rim of the wheel upon which the tire is mounted, by meansof spoke-like legs which frictionally clamp to the wheel rim andtemporarily secure the strip in place to function as an independent tireor rim or tread for the vehicle wheel, which thus acts as a wheel hub.More specifically, the strip is formed of a number of U-shaped plateswhich are interconnected end to end by hinges to provide spoke-like legsfor fitting around the opposite sides of the tire and clamping to thevehicle wheel rim side flanges.

The chain-like strip with the spoke forming members is so arranged thatthe vehicle wheel having a flat tire may be driven onto the strip,causing the strip to encircle the wheel and mount itself.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent upon reading the following description, of which the attacheddrawings form a part.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an automotivevehicle wheel with the temporary tire secured thereto,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken in the direction ofarrow 2-2 of FIG. I.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, perspective view showing a plate element and pinforming the temporary tire, and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of several of the plate elements with aclamp means to help interconnect them.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flat tire of an automotive vehicle with the tirearrangedto roll upon the chain-like temporary tire.

FIG. 6. is a fragmentary view of a modification of one of the plateelements to include conventional tire studs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional automobilevehicle wheel 10 upon which is mounted a conventional pneumatic tire Il, the same normally being used on automobiles, trucks and the like.Surrounding the periphery or tread of the tire is the temporary tire inthe form of a chain-like strip 12 which is formed of a number of U-shaped metal'members (see FIG. 3) having plate forming bases 15 andintegral legs 16 which form spokes.

The free ends of the legs 16 are bent into inwardly opening channels 17and terminate in flared ends 18.

The opposite ends of the bases 15 are provided with integral hinge loopsl9 and2 0 to form a hinge half on each side of each base 15. These hingehalves on adjacent plates are meshed or. aligned and connected togetherby hinge pins 21.

Preferably, the outer surface of the base portions 15 are coated with athick rubber-like cushion 22. Also, rubber or rubber-like materialinserts 23 may be provided within the channels 17 of the legs or spokes16 for better gripping of the flanges of the vehicle wheel.

The strip 12 may be laid flat or coiled for storage and kept in a trunkof an automotive vehicle for use when necessary. It thus appears in theform of a flat'ribbon or strip of a width approximately equal to thewidth of the vehicle tire and with the legs extending normal to thestrip.

OPERATION Referring to FIG. 5, when the automotive vehicle tire becomesflat, for whatever reason, the strip 12 is aligned with the tire uponthe ground so that the tire may be rolled onto the strip for wrappingthe strip around the tire.

For this purpose, it is desirable to arrange a block 25, preferably of aresilient material such as rubber, in front of the tire so the tirerolls up and then down upon the strip for starting. As the vehicle movesforwardly and the tire rolls upon the strip, the flared or leading edges18 of the legs tend to spread the legs apart somewhat until the channels17 snap-fit over and receive the side edge flanges 24 or bead seats 26of the wheel rim.

Ultimately, as the wheel rolls upon the strip, each successive pair oflegs or spokes l6 embrace the tire and snap or clamp upon the vehiclewheel rim edges until the strip completely surrounds the periphery ofthe tire. At this point, the hinge loops of the two adjacent end members14 may be manually moved together and an extra or loose pin I insertedtherein to complete the strip into its continuous chain-likeconfiguration around the tire.

Since it is desirable to tighten the strip slightly around the wheel rimand tire, for this purpose, openings 27 (see FIG. 4) may be formed inthe bases 15 and cushions 22 to receive clamp legs 28 and 28a of asuitable mechanical clamp 29 having a screw 30 for moving the clamp legstogether. The clamp legs are inserted into the openings 27 of the twoend bases. Upon tightening of the screw 30, the clamp legs will move thebases closer together to align their end hinge loops 19-20 for manualinsertion of the loose pin 21. At that point, the clamp may be removed.Other suitable clamping means may also be used for this purpose.

Once mounted around the outside of the tire, the strip 12 becomesself-sustaining and forms a tire or tread or rim upon which the vehiclemay be driven a short distance to a service garage for repair orreplacement of the flat tire.

The strip may also function as a skid chain or snow tire tread since itsouter surface is relatively rough and interrupted. For use on ice,conventional tire studs 32 may be added, by forming sockets 33 in theouter surfaces of each of the bases 15 so that a portion of the rubbercushion 22 fits within the sockets, and the tire studs are mountedwithin such portions, as shown in FIG. 6.

Thus, where the tire is inflated and bulged, rather than flat and moreflexible, the legs may engage and lock against the sides of the tire dueto the friction grip caused by the resiliency of the legs, withoutclamping to the wheel itself. The strip is then supported or backed bythe tread of the tire.

' Having fully described an operative embodiment of this invention, Inow claim:

1. A temporary tire for a vehicle wheel, upon which a pneumatic tire ismounted, for attachment to the rim of the wheel and for encircling thetread of the tire comprising:

a number of flat plates hingedly connected together end to end to form achain-like strip, with the plates being approximately as wide as thewidth of the tire treads;

the side edges of the plates having integral legs extended normallythereto to form spokes, with the free ends of said spokes being bentinto inwardly opening channel shaped portions shaped to receive andfrictionally grip the side edges of the rim of the wheel;

said strip being normally wrapped around the circumference of the tire,covering the tread thereof, with the spokes extending radially inwardlyon opposite sides of the tire, to grip the wheel rim, wherein the stripforms an independent tire-like tread around the outside of the tire.

2. A wheel as defined in claim 1 and said plates having integral hingeloops formed on their opposite ends for interfitting with correspondinghinge loops on the next adjacent plate, and with hinge pins fittedthrough each interfltted set of loops for forming said strip.

3. A wheel as defined in claim 1 and said plates each being in the formof a long, flat metal strip bent into a U-shape whose base forms theplate portion and whose legs form the spoke portions, with a hinge halfformed on each opposite edge of the plate portion and connected tocorresponding hinge halves located on the next adjacent plates tohingedly connect the plates together and thereby form a continuouschain;

and at least one of the hinge connectors being manually releasable andconnectable for opening and closing, respectively, the continuous chain.

4. A wheel as defined in claim 1 and the plates each having arubber-like lower surface coating forming the if iviiia i s is iri riii'i iilih 4, and including tire studs embedded within and extendingoutwardly of said rubber-like lower surfaces for forming an ice grippingtread.

1. A temporary tire for a vehicle wheel, upon which a pneumatic tire ismounted, for attachment to the rim of the wheel and for encircling thetread of the tire comprising: a number of flat plates hingedly connectedtogether end to end to form a chain-like strip, with the plates beingapproximately as wide as the width of the tire treads; the side edges ofthe plates having integral legs extended normally thereto to formspokes, with the free ends of said spokes being bent into inwardlyopening channel shaped portions shaped to receive and frictionally gripthe side edges of the rim of the wheel; said strip being normallywrapped around the circumference of the tire, covering the treadthereof, with the spokes extending radially inwardly on opposite sidesof the tire, to grip the wheel rim, wherein the strip forms anindependent tire-like tread around the outside of the tire.
 2. A wheelas defined in claim 1 and said plates having integral hinge loops formedon their opposite ends for interfitting with corresponding hinge loopson the next adjacent plate, and with hinge pins fitted through eachinterfitted set of loops for forming said strip.
 3. A wheel as definedin claim 1 and said plates each being in the form of a long, flat metalstrip bent into a U-shape whose base forms the plate portion and whoselegs form the spoke portions, with a hinge half formed on each oppositeedge of the plate portion and connected to corresponding hinge halveslocated on the next adjacent plates to hingedly connect the platestogether and thereby form a continuous chain; and at least one of thehinge connectors being manually releasable and connectable for openingand closing, respectively, the continuous chain.
 4. A wheel as definedin claim 1 and the plates each having a rubber-like lower surfacecoating forming the outer peripheral face of the strip.
 5. A wheel asdefined in claim 4, and including tire studs embedded within andextending outwardly of said rubber-like lower surfaces for forming anice gripping tread.